Before I Forget: Carolyn Warner

This ambitious biography contains stories of struggle and success, of love and family, and of survival and prosperity for a woman in a world that was challenging for even the most determined man. Together, these accounts define a courageous lady who has left an indelible mark on her state, those lucky enough to know her, and history itself.

Ever undaunted, Carolyn Rexroat Warner pushed resolutely past any boundaries she came across. Having honed her natural oratory skills, parlaying them into national speech and debate victories, she spoke influentially on both radio and television. While raising her family in Arizona, she became state superintendent of public instruction and also founded and ran a successful luxury decorating company with her husband.

Her personal history reveals fascinating experiences growing up in the Dust Bowl and making headway in local Arizona politics at a time when such doors were largely closed to women. As a speaker, she traveled the world, encountering most interesting situations—what was that about the State Department and geishas? Back home, she happily grounded herself with family and gardening. The advice she offers is playful but honest, born of hard-fought life—another side of the gritty and wonderful American experience.